


pose like a team (even if you aren't one)

by edlington (stealingtime)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bee Miraculous, Fox Miraculous, Identity Reveal, Multi, Peacock Miraculous, Romance, Team as Family, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-16 05:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7253830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stealingtime/pseuds/edlington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[AU. Set post Volpina.] <br/>The Miraculous Duo have to expand their team under the threat of Hawk Moth getting bigger, but learning to trust new teammates is a lot harder than expected- all the while, Hawk Moth is getting stronger, Adrien's father is getting stricter, and Marinette's fear of losing her teammates gets bigger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. i have you

Marinette was afraid. Adrien had had a book that was full of information in another language, but the illustrations told her enough- drawings of all the Miraculous and previous holders, as well as drawings of previous incarnations of Akuma she had fought, all surrounded by information she couldn’t read.

It had been Adrien’s. Perfect Adrien Agreste, who Marinette had thought she was head over heels for, was hiding something big. Dangerous thoughts loomed as she stared at the back of his head throughout class the day after the Volpina fight- she was sore and tired and anxious but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Adrien having that book meant.

Was he Hawk Moth? Sweet, darling Adrien, adored by all but never really looked at by anyone (even Marinette) as anything more than a pretty face. Controlling innocent people in their moments of weakness, turning them to the dark side. Something pulled at Marinette’s memory, seeing Adrien yelling and ducking for cover as Akuma appeared, and how could he be doing that as well as turning them, but the thoughts persisted. So she slipped a note asking him to stay after class onto his desk, and she waited, bouncing her leg anxiously under the desk.

The bell rang and both Alya and Nino stood, stretching and collecting their things so they could go to lunch.

“You coming, girl?” Alya asked, and Marinette shook her head and looked meaningfully at Adrien, who was telling Nino to go on without him. “Ah, I see. Good luck!” She said, winking, and Marinette did her best to smile.

She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t need it.

“So, you wanted to talk?” Adrien said, flashing a smile at her.

Marinette nodded, willing herself not to stutter. She channeled Ladybug the best she could, pulling the book out of her bag. Adrien’s eyes widened a fraction in a brief moment of panic, before refocusing on Marinette.

“Why,” she said, placing the book on the desk between them, “did you have a book containing information and illustrations of Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as most of the Akuma’s they’ve faced?”

Adrien’s face paled, and he raised his hands up by his shoulders in a desperate attempt at a peace gesture. Marinette looked down at the book, refusing to meet her crush’s eyes.

“Is it you? Are you Hawk Moth?” She asked quietly, and Adrien looked as if he had been slapped.

“Look, Marinette, let me explain! You have to-“

“I have to _what_ , Adrien? Fall prey to an akuma for you? Let you manipulate me? How do I know I can trust anything you say?” Marinette said, her voice rising. Anxiety clawed at her throat as she stared at Adrien, trying not to let him see how scared she was.

Adrien looked around anxiously before shutting his eyes. “This is why,” he said, before raising his ring above his head and opening his eyes to stare at Marinette. “Plagg, Claws Out!”

Marinette’s jaw dropped as the mask spread across Adrien’s eyes, green lights spreading across his body and giving way to the oh-so familiar suit and messy, ruffled hair of Chat Noir.

“This,” he said, gesturing to himself once before releasing the transformation, “Is why I had the book, and why I could not _possibly_ be Hawk Moth,” Adrien said, and Marinette saw a flicker of what must have been his kwami dive into his jacket. “I lost that book before the Volpina fight, and I think- I think you should keep it with you. It’s not safe with me, and well, now that you know about me, I think you can be trusted,” he said, grinning softly.

Marinette squeaked in a very undignified manner, a blush spreading across her face like a wildfire through a dry forest.  “O-of course! Oh, god, _Adrien_ , I’m sorry!” She said, realization of what sort of weight her accusation held dawning on her. “I just- oh, I am so sorry, I- I can’t even explain myself, you must _hate_ me!”

“Never,” Adrien said softly, moving up and pulling Marinette close into a hug. “It may not have been the best situation, but the weight you have lifted off of my shoulders is _immense_ ,” Adrien’s voice dropped to a whisper with the word, and Marinette hugged him back with everything she had.

“You can trust me, Adrien. I’ll take the book, keep it hidden, protect it for you”. Adrien pulled away as Marinette spoke, and determination shadowed her face as she spoke. Adrien smiled at her, and Marinette found herself smiling back despite the panic that still roiled in her stomach. “I’ll uh, let you go, I have to go find Alya anyways,” Marinette lied easily, smiling apologetically at Adrien. “I’ll see you later though?”

“Yeah! Yeah, we should hang out, okay?” Adrien said, waving goodbye as Marinette rushed out of the room. Panic swelled in her throat as she sprinted home, tripping on her way up the stairs to her room. She collapsed onto her bed for a second, before springing back up and ripping the pictures of Adrien that littered her wall down.

“Marinette, are you alright?” Tikki asked timidly, and Marinette let out a wail of anguish.

“ _No,_ Tikki! I am not all right and I’m never going to be all right again! Chat is _Adrien!_ ” She said, throwing herself down onto her bed once she had removed all evidence of her crush on Adrien from her room. She pressed her face into her pillow, feeling herself flush.

All this time, the boy flirting with her and the boy she had a crush on were the same person. Marinette had never been so confused- she had always denied the lingering warmth she felt after seeing Chat’s flirty grin as a platonic feeling, sure that Adrien was the only one for her. Now they were one in the same- she was sure she liked both sides of him.

But what if Adrien didn’t like both sides of _her_? Marinette knew she was nothing compared to Ladybug- she was klutzy and accident-prone and a general wreck, everything her alter ego wasn’t. Adrien loved Ladybug, not Marinette, and there wasn’t a lot she could do about it.

Marinette fell asleep like that, her face pressed into her pillow. Hours later, she was jolted awake by a sharp tapping noise. Looking around startled, she heard the noise again- looking up; she saw it was coming from her skylight. A sky full of stars and Chat Noir’s smiling, masked face greeted her.

“ _Hello,_ Marinette!” He said, grinning down at her. “May I come in?”

“No boots on the bed,” Marinette said, staring at the boy as he dropped himself skillfully onto her bed, careful not to let his boots touch it. “Why are you here?”

“Well,” Chat started, grinning at her, “I wanted to talk to you. And to give you this!” He said, holding something out in his palm. It was a small hairclip in the shape of peacock feathers, simple yet elegant. Power thrummed through Marinette when she took it into her hand, and she gasped when she touched it. Chat watched her, and cleared his throat when her eyes flickered to his, looking away. “Yeah. It’s… something,” he said, his cheeks staining pink.

“Wow. Adrien, _wow_. Do you think this could be…?” Marinette trailed off, and Adrien nodded. 

“A Miraculous Stone? Yeah,” He said, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes met Marinette’s again. “I don’t know what to do, Mari,” he said, and Marinette hugged him. She didn’t do it because she loved him- and she did, she knew for sure now that she loved _all_ of him- she did it because in that moment, she knew he needed someone to hold him.

So Marinette did. She held him and Chat shook silently in her arms, choking back sobs as she held him. She hummed softly and ran her hands through his hair.

Marinette didn’t know how long had passed when Chat pulled away, leaving the hairclip searing in her hand. She looked up at him as he stood, moving to climb back out of the skylight, but Marinette found herself putting out a hand to stop him. “I think… I think I know someone who can help. Meet you tomorrow morning, outside the bakery?” She said cautiously.

Chat smiled down at her, leaning down quickly to peck her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mari. It’s a date”.

Flushing, Marinette pulled back and looked away. “See you tomorrow, Chat”.

Chat grinned, pulling himself out into the night. “Until then, Princess”.

-

The next morning, Marinette waited anxiously outside the bakery, looking around for Adrien. He arrived, cheeks flushed and breathing harder than usual, holding two disposable coffee cups.

“Hot chocolate?” He asked, grinning, and Marinette giggled, accepting the styrofoam cup out of his hand and starting to walk, gesturing for him to follow. “So, who exactly is this person?” Adrien asked, looking curiously at Marinette. 

“He’s, uh, a mentor of mine. I look up to him a lot, and I think he might be able to help with this sort of stuff? He’s really into ancient history, so…” Marinette trailed off, looking anxiously up at Adrien. “Also! I wanted to say, thank you for trusting me! I know it must have been really hard and I’m really glad you trust me enough to keep you secret”.

Adrien blushed again, looking away. “You’ve never given me a reason not to,” he mumbled, smiling.

The pair arrived at Master Fu’s massage shop soon enough, and some of the tension that had been strung between them had relaxed. Marinette lead the way inside, book tucked under her arm and hairpin burning a hole in her pocket, Adrien following behind nervously.

“Master Fu?” Marinette called, and an old man walked out into the main part of the shop. The man smiled at Marinette and Adrien before bowing, and Adrien rushed to follow after Marinette did the same. “It’s lovely to see you again!” Marinette said, and Adrien smiled.

“Who is you friend, Ms. Dupain-Cheng? And to what do I owe the pleasure?” Fu asked, sitting down. He gestured for Marinette and Adrien to do the same.

“My name is Adrien Agreste, sir,” Adrien said, smiling at the man.

“And we’re here to show you these, Master Fu,” Marinette explained, holding out the book and the pin. Fu’s eyes widened as he took them from Marinette, holding them as if they would shatter at any given moment. “We were wondering if you knew what they were?”

Marinette’s eyes flicked nervously from Adrien to Fu as they all looked at the book and the pin.

Fu stood suddenly, walking across the room and coming back with an old-looking box. “As you two are Miraculous Holders,” he began, opening the box, and Marinette quickly turned to Adrien, eyes wide.

“Did you just say… both of us?” Adrien asked, before whipping around to stare at Marinette. “ _Ladybug?_ ” Adrien said, realization hitting him like a train. Marinette squawked, quickly ducking and hiding her face. “Holy _shit,_ you’re Ladybug?” Adrien asked, face flushing as he continued to stare at Marinette.

Master Fu sighed. “Ah. I was… unaware that you two didn’t know each other’s identities. My sincerest apologies,” he said, and a small green kwami with a shell on his back ducked out from behind him.

“Tikki, Plagg? Are you here?” The kwami said, and Marinette and Adrien were shocked as their kwamis rushed out to join each other, zooming up into the air before collapsing into a pile in the middle of them.

“Wayzz, Plagg! It’s been _far_ too long!” Tikki said, snuggling in between the other two kwami.

“Hold up,” Adrien said, putting a hand on his forehead and staring at the three kwami. “Give me a second to catch up. I’m Chat Noir,” he said, pointing at himself before turning to Marinette. “You’re Ladybug, and that makes you,” he continued, pointing at Fu, “the Turtle Miraculous holder”.

Fu nodded. Marinette made a sound similar to screaming, but it sounded like she was biting down on her hand to muffle the noise. Her face was bright cherry red and the sound continued for a few more seconds before it stopped and Marinette inhaled deeply.

“Okay,” she whimpered, “I’m good”.

Adrien continued to stare, not noticing Fu gathering up the kwami and leaving the room. A few minutes passed before Marinette peeked out at Adrien. Making eye contact, she squeaked, her face flushing even more and moving to hide her eyes again. Adrien reached out and grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her towards him and pulling him closer to her.

Brilliant bluebell eyes stared up at Adrien, and clear, enticing emerald stared back at Marinette. Their eyes met and for a moment they forgot everything around them, simply letting the other’s eyes sweep them away like a wave before it crashed back down.

“The first time I saw you as Ladybug, I was so sure that I was in love with you,” Adrien murmured, glancing down before meeting Marinette’s eyes again, shyly. “Now… I can’t say I love you, Marinette, but I can tell you that you’re my _partner_ and I wouldn’t swap you out for anyone, _ever_. I trust you, Marinette, and I hope you can trust me too,” he finished, faint, watercolor pink rolling over his cheeks as he dropped her hands and looked away.

“Chaton,” Marinette started, the nickname slipping out as easily as it always had. “What I said earlier, when I first showed you the book- I know, now, how I can trust what you say,” she whispered, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. “Because, Chat- Adrien, you are my partner and I have seen you throw yourself in front of akuma for me, and I _know_ you would _never_ lie to me,” She said, and Adrien went to say something but he was stopped by one of her fingers coming to rest against his lips, shushing him.

“I wasn’t ever sure that I was good enough, that I would be good enough _for you_ , and I’m still confused and flustered and unsure, but now I know-“ she paused, bringing her fingers to trail along Adrien’s jaw before shutting her eyes and resting her forehead against his “-that I have the _best_ person watching my back that I could _ever_ ask for. I have you, kitty, and that’s all I need to be sure of right now,” she finished, and Adrien shut his eyes, letting himself just lean against her and letting her presence wash over him. A few minutes passed with the two just coexisting, letting the other’s presence calm them.

A light tap on Adrien’s nose made his eyes spring open again, to see Marinette grinning at him.

“Boop!” She said, and Adrien started to laugh like he hadn’t in a long time- he laughed until his ribs hurt and he laughed harder when Marinette joined in, her breathless giggles and (frankly adorable) snorts mingling with his own laughter.  

In that moment, both Adrien and Marinette were sure about one thing- they had each other, and that was _exactly_ what they needed right now.


	2. im no hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette spend some quality time with their best friends.

Fu came back to the room and smiled at the clasped hands of the Miraculous duo that had been waiting patiently. 

Sitting, Fu placed the box in front of them again, but with a bare wrist this time. The Turtle Miraculous sat inside of the box alongside the Fox and Bee Miraculous, and the Peacock Miraculous was in a small box similar to the ones Adrien and Marinette’s Miraculous had been delivered in. 

“I see you have sorted yourselves out,” Fu said, smiling at the two teens. They nodded, both blushing slightly as they focused on the box in Fu’s hand. The atmosphere changed as Fu placed a lid on the box, pushing it towards Marinette and Adrien. “It is time to awaken the other Miraculous, and this will be up to the two of you. My time with Wayzz is over, and my last interaction with the Miraculous will be giving this to it’s chosen,” he said, gesturing towards the Peacock hairpin. 

“Up to us?” Marinette asked, running her hand over the box. “Are you sure? You could still choose,” she offered, doubt lacing her voice. Fu put a hand on her shoulder, giving the girl a faint smile. 

“You are the chosen leaders of the Miraculous- your team should be of your choosing,” Fu explained, giving the box a sad smile. “Wayzz and I have said our goodbyes”.

“What about the Peacock Miraculous?” Adrien asked, confused. “What are you going to do with it?”

“The Peacock Miraculous is… still activated,” Fu admitted, ignoring the stunned looks on Adrien and Marinette’s faces. “I will need to take a leave to study it- and after that, I will distribute it. There is already a chosen for this Miraculous,” he said calmly. “It’s a lot of responsibility for the two of you, but you are already making progress- the closer you are as a team, the stronger you are”.

“These Miraculous are not the only ones,” Fu continued, gesturing to the box. “We are in possession of the Great Guardian Miraculous, who keep the great evil locked away. This time, the evil escaped, and it took Nooroo and the Butterfly Miraculous with it. The other Miraculous have simpler jobs, and there are only two others activated that I know of- the Firefly, a healer, and the Wolf, a warrior. They work as a team in Quebec, and if need be, I will contact them for you,” Fu said, and Adrien nodded. 

“Okay, great evil. I can handle great evil,” he said, and Marinette stared disbelievingly at him. “What?” Adrien asked, shrugging. “My day can’t get a lot weirder”.

“Hawk Moth has been offered this great evil’s power, and he grows stronger- the more Guardian Miraculous are awake and ready to contain him, the better,” Fu explained, his voice quiet and serious. Marinette and Adrien looked down at the box that sat in front of them, the weight of their decisions resting heavy on their shoulders. 

They said their goodbyes to Fu later in the day, taking the box back to Marinette’s house and placing it in-between them on her bedroom floor. A list of criteria was being scribbled on a piece of notebook paper torn from Marinette’s diary, Adrien writing in dark green and Marinette in soft pink. 

TRAITS FOR THE NEW MIRACULOUS HOLDERS  
\-  trustworthy  
\-  can keep a secret   
\-  hard working!   
\-  can keep up w/ LB and CN  
\-  close enough to trust but not know who we are right away 

Adrien paused when reading the last one, frowning at Marinette. “Fu said we would be stronger together and trusting, Mari,” he said, and Marinette looked down, refusing to meet his eye. 

“I’m still processing you and Chat being the same person,” she mumbled, and Adrien’s frown deepened. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t ever tell them,” she clarified, looking up at Adrien, “but I’m saying we should make sure that they’re in in for good before we do,” she explained. 

Adrien bit his lip, looking down at the list again. “Okay,” he agreed, “but on one condition- you have to listen when I tell you they’re ready,” he said, and Marinette frowned at him. “I know you, bugaboo, and you have to trust your instincts and trust that you are the right choice,” he said, and Marinette flushed, looking away again. 

In the end, Marinette took the Turtle Miraculous with her to school in her bag and Adrien took the Fox Miraculous with him, and they left the Bee Miraculous in the safety of Marinette’s bedroom. Splitting them up made the most sense, ensuring that all three didn’t fall into the wrong hands at one time. 

Adrien and Marinette ended up walking to school together, chatting away even after they arrived for class. They took their usual seats, Adrien twisting in his chair to talk to Marinette, who for once, talked animatedly back. They failed to notice their entire class, including Nino and Alya, staring at the sudden change in Marinette’s attitude towards Adrien. 

Class started, and Marinette felt a small triangle of paper poking her arm. 

k girl _what_ was that!!!???? wat happened with u 2?? spill 

nothing! we’re just a little closer as friends okay alya 

i am calling bullshit so hard rn 

Marinette didn’t write back to that one, shooting her friend a dirty look. Alya returned it with a look of skepticism, mouthing “bull” at her best friend. 

The day couldn’t seem to pass fast enough for Marinette. Every second ticking by on the clock was agonizing, every dull class lasting an age. They had P.E last thing, and they were split into halves- half the class doing hockey, and the other half doing gymnastics. Nino and Marinette waved goodbye to an enthusiastic Alya and a terrified looking Adrien as they walked towards the field, hockey sticks in hand, and Nino turned to Marinette and mock bowed at her, holding out his hand. 

“Shall we, my lady?” He asked. Marinette giggled and bobbed a curtsy back at him, ignoring the distinct wrongness of Nino calling her Chat’s nickname for her and letting him lead her over to the beam. Nino hoisted himself up, no problem, and quickly completed the basic routine that was laid out for them to do. Simple walks and bobs along the beam, a basic routine to introduce them to it. He lowered himself down at the other end and looked expectantly at Marinette. 

Marinette hoisted herself up, trying her best to channel Ladybug’s balance and parkour skills, but her knees wobbled precariously underneath her as she tried to find her balance, arms out. She managed to hold herself steady through most of the simple routine, wobbling dangerously but always managing to find her footing.

That is, until the end of the beam. Her foot caught behind her on the beam and Marinette pitched forwards, circling her arms in an attempt to stay upright. As she fell she twisted so she would land on her back rather than her face to save herself from injury as she fell towards the floor, but the impact she was expecting never came. Instead, a set of arms wrapped around her and caught her mid-fall.

Marinette opened her eyes and stared up at Nino, who looked just as surprised as she felt. Putting her down carefully, he brushed himself off before coughing awkwardly. 

“Thanks, Nino,” Marinette said softly, and red stained Nino’s cheeks as he rubbed at the back of his neck, looking up shyly at her. 

“Well, you know, just helping out, anyone would have done it, really,” Nino laughed awkwardly. “I mean, it’s not like I’m Chat Noir or anything,” he said, and Marinette laughed with him, an idea taking hold in her mind. 

On the field, armed with nothing but a hockey stick and his natural charm, Adrien stood behind Alya as she faced off with Kim. With Alix inside doing gymnastics, Adrien figured someone had to challenge Kim, but he didn’t think it would be Alya. Rose was on his team too, and she had always seemed timid, and he wondered why someone who seemed so peaceful had chosen such a violent sport. Surely it wasn’t her thing. 

He was very wrong in that assumption. 

Adrien didn’t manage to do much during the game, Alya and Rose making an excellent and vicious team without his assistance. Adrien just passed the ball to Alya whenever he got it, and at the halfway mark, she told him he was doing fantastically. 

“You guys doing all the real work,” Adrien said, and Rose smiled softly at him, shaking her head. 

“We appreciate your effort, Adrien,” she said, and he smiled back at her. 

“Damn right,” Alya said, putting her hockey stick forwards. “Now, let’s go whoop some butt!” Adrien and Rose clanked their hockey sticks against Alya’s before heading back out onto the field. 

The next time the ball came towards Adrien, Nathaniël dove towards it, bringing his hockey stick up and swinging haphazardly. Missing the ball, the hockey stick continued to arch up, directly towards Adrien’s face. 

This is how I die, Adrien thought, closing his eyes. Not as Chat Noir fighting a dangerous battle, but playing hockey at school. But the stick never impacted, and he cracked one eye open cautiously. 

Alya’s hockey stick had caught Nathaniël’s inches from Adrien’s face, and Nathaniël quickly dropped his stick, face flushing the same shade as his hair. He apologized relentlessly as Adrien brushed him off and walked after Alya to the sidelines, where she was berating their coach. 

“-and you don’t even teach them how to properly use the sticks! I ought to report you!” She finished as Adrien arrived, face flushed from anger and the vigorous sport. The coach walked away and proclaimed the lesson over, telling the students they were free to get changed.

“You’re a lifesaver, Alya,” Adrien said gratefully, following Alya over towards the bench where they had left their water. “A real hero,” he added, and a pleased blush spread across Alya’s face. 

“Someone’s gotta keep your pretty face intact,” She said, grinning. “I mean, I’m no Ladybug, but I think in this case I was just fine,” she joked, and Adrien laughed along, an idea forming in his head. 

When he arrived home, Adrien felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and he pulled it out, opening the new messages. 

maribug: i think i have an idea.  
maribug: come over? i have cookies :) 

Adrien grinned down at his phone, quickly typing out his reply. His fingers ran over the Fox necklace in his pocket, the power thrumming against him- familiar, but not quite right. As if something inside the Miraculous Stone was sending him an error message, telling him no, not you, this is for someone else. 

Marinette’s phone dinged, alerting her to Adrien’s reply and drawing her away from where she had been tracing her fingers over the details on the Turtle bracelet. The thrum of the incompatibility message from the Miraculous Stone stopped, and Marinette could barely feel the buzz of Tikki’s earrings compared to the vibrations that had rocked from the bracelet, telling her no, not you. Looking down at her phone, she smiled as she read Adrien’s reply. 

kitty: hmmm the cookies are a real selling point  
kitty: be right over princess :3c

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rose the d e s t r o y e r  
> gotta love pesterlog formatting tho lmao
> 
> aaa this fic has gotten so much love already and i want everyone who has bookmarked/left kudos to know that i love u and u make me smile  
> (updating will be. sporadic to say the least sorry)


	3. power like lightning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Nino have some _miraculous_ visitors.

“We tell them separately, and we keep ourselves secret at first- you tell her, and I’ll tell him,” Ladybug says, sounding more confident than she feels. “Easy-peasy”.

Her leg bounces anxiously next to Chat Noir’s from their seat on the Eiffel Tower, and she fiddles with her yoyo. A zipper now adorns her suit, stark black down the front, and new boots too- black with red soles. Chat’s outfit has changed too, just slightly- red zippers and accents instead of their usual black.

“We’ll be fine, bugaboo,” Chat says, gnawing at his lip. “They’re our best friends, no one we trust more,” he continues, although Ladybug thinks he sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than reassure her. He had told her earlier how hard it had been to sneak out- people constantly checking on him until around ten, delaying their meeting. “We should head out soon,” he says in the silence that follows, fingers fiddling with the foxtail necklace that hangs at his throat. Ladybug thumbs at the bracelet that adorns her wrist and nods.

“Yeah, Tikki’s starting to get sick of the incompatibility message, and I don’t want to see how fast that transfers over to me,” she says, standing. Offering a hand to Chat she helps pull her partner up, pulling him into a quick hug before grabbing her yoyo off her waist. “Meet here when we’re done, kitty?” She asks, and Chat nods, grinning.

“Catch you later, My Lady!” He calls after her as she leaps from the tower, swinging towards where Adrien knew Nino’s apartment was. He heard her laughter on the wind and smiled to himself, extending his baton and turning in the direction of Alya’s house.

-

Nino slammed the door to his room shut and leaned back against it with a heavy sigh, trying his best to ignore the yelling that still filled the small apartment he called home. Glad that he had no siblings that he had to protect from his parent’s wrath, he collapsed onto his bed, fiddling with his phone in the dark, debating calling Adrien.

“Rough night?” A voice asked, and Nino shrieked, throwing his phone at the intruder sitting on his windowsill and falling off his bed. “Ah, sorry, this- ugh, I suck, I know, just- sorry!” the voice said, and Nino leaned over cautiously until his fingers found the switch to his bedside lamp, flicking it on.

Ladybug smiled sheepishly from her seat on Nino’s windowsill. She tossed his phone back at him and it landed on the bed above him.

Nino turned the lights back off.

“Alright,” he said to himself, climbing back onto his bed. “You’re hallucinating Ladybug visiting instead of handling your problems like a rational fifteen year old. Nice,” he whispered, and Ladybug sighed.

“Um, okay. This really could have gone better,” she said, and Nino heard light footsteps as she swung herself inside gracefully. “But I’m not just here for chit-chat, Nino, I’m here on business”.

Nino flicked the lights on once more, squinting at the masked hero who looked oh so out of place in his tiny bedroom. “Business?”

“Yes, business,” Ladybug sighed, slipping a bracelet off of her wrist and holding it out. “You, Nino, have been chosen- you have the qualities that a hero needs, and the heroes you know- Chat and I- _need_ backup. We need _you_ to be that backup, Nino,” she said, and Nino’s eyes widened behind his glasses.

“Hah, you must have the wrong guy, I mean, _seriously_ , me? A hero? You realize I was an akuma, right? The Bubbler? Is this one of those American prank shows where a celebrity will jump out and yell ‘SIKE’ and confetti rains down?” Nino rambled, staring at Ladybug all the while. She was frowning at him, and Nino could practically _see_ the light bulb flash above her head when her expression changed.

“Here,” she said, holding the bracelet out. “The bracelet will tell you if it’s wrong- I can hardly wear it due to the error messages it gives me. It will shake and you’ll _feel_ it if you’re not right, Nino,” she said, and Nino hesitantly allowed Ladybug to slip the bracelet over his wrist, her hands brushing against his.

Warmth spread along his body like a wildfire, power not unlike what he felt as The Bubbler, but kinder somehow- a warm breeze rather than a harsh wind, happy memories instead of bad. He felt _good_ , happy and safe and warm and _right_ for once in his life.

“I know,” Ladybug whispered, watching Nino’s face. “I feel it too, with the earrings- they make me feel invincible,” she said. “And it’s not just being a hero that you get- you get Chat and I as well, friends and partners, a hand to hold and a shoulder to lean on,” she murmured, moving closer to Nino. “I know how alone you can feel, even when you’re surrounded by friends, and being Ladybug, _having Chat_ , it takes all that away. We understand each other like nobody else can,” she described, and Nino flinched and thought of the screaming that continued outside his door, oblivious to the conversation happening in his room.

Ladybug rested a hand on Nino’s shoulder, leaning down until she was at eye-level with the DJ. “I know it sucks, Nino,” she whispered, “not being able to stop the bad things happening around you. And if you say no, Chat and I can still help you with that-“ she jerked her head towards the door “if you ask. But if you say yes, Nino, and accept the Miraculous, then maybe you could help yourself”.

“Okay,” he said simply, and in that moment, everything changed. Something small and green shot out of the bracelet, going and looping around Ladybug’s head as it spiraled around the room before coming to a rest in front of Nino. The power from the bracelet went from warm summer to burning flames for a few seconds, shocking through him like lightning. Nino pitched forwards and Ladybug caught him, setting him upright on the bed again.

“Hi, Wayzz,” Ladybug giggled, smiling at the small green thing in front of Nino. “I have to leave you now, Nino, but tomorrow night- let’s say ten? I’ll come back, and we can explore your powers, do a patrol. You and Wayzz need to be acquainted with each other first,” she said, and she ducked down to press a kiss to his cheek before bounding across to the window and swinging herself up. She paused, feet on the windowsill, and looked back at him. “Welcome to the team, Nino”, she said with a smile before ducking out the window.

Warmth spread across Nino’s cheeks as he stared after the heroine, watching Ladybug disappear into the night.

“Alright,” Nino said, turning to Wayzz, who looked expectantly up at him. “Where do I start?”

\- 

Alya Césaire closed the door to her room with a sigh, exhausted from putting her siblings to bed. She turned the lights off and went to close her window in preparation for going to bed, but a black boot blocking the way cut her off.

Alya watched in amazement as Chat Noir climbed through her bedroom window, grinning sheepishly at her. “Sorry, sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “I have a delivery for you,” he explained, and Alya was practically buzzing from excitement.

(Although, she had to admit, out of all the times she had ~~fantasized~~ imagined having one of Paris’s two heroes in her room with her, it was never for a delivery.)

“Alright,” Alya said slowly, taking a step back. “Is this, like, a Ladyblog thing?” She asked, and Chat shook his head. The initial amazement of having one of Paris’s heroes in her room was starting to wear off, and suspicion was starting to take its place. Chat Noir was in her room with her, they were alone; he was _way_ stronger than Alya was, and Ladybug wasn’t with him. A quick glance around showed no black butterflies in her room, so the potential for an akuma was off the list as well. “Why are you here, Chat Noir?” she asked, her voice hardening and her hand slowly reaching for the drawer where she kept a small canister of pepper spray.

“To give you this,” Chat said softly, unhooking a necklace Alya hadn’t noticed from around his neck. It was shaped and colored like a fox’s tail, and it looked like the chain was made of gold. Alya felt the power from it before even touching it, the urge to reach out and snatch it from Chat’s hands running through her mind.

Instead, she cocked her head to the side and smirked. _Play it cool, Césaire_ , she thought, stepping towards Chat. “Oh, I _see_. Damn, playboy, I thought you loved Ladybug, but I’m not gonna complain if Paris’s favorite hunk is here to shower me with gifts,” she said, and this time Chat stepped away from Alya. _Back in control_ , the journalist thought, her smirk growing wider. Chat was spluttering at her, bright cherry red as he tried to contradict Alya.

She couldn’t keep it up forever, and eventually she laughed, bright and clear. Realization dawned on Chat’s face as he figured out she had been messing with her, and he pouted.

“You’re _paw_ sitively awful to me,” he whined, and eventually Alya stopped laughing long enough for him to get back on track. “This is a Miraculous,” he told the blogger, and the atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Alya grew serious, straightening up and looking Chat in the eye. “And, well, I’m here to give it to you,” he said, and Alya’s jaw dropped a little bit. Chat held the necklace out towards her, and Alya’s hands came up to cup around it gently.

Touching it felt like lighting rattling through her bones, an entirely different league of power than what she felt as Lady Wi-Fi. She wasn’t even really wearing it but she could feel the Miraculous grow warm in her hands, telling her _yes, put me on, **yes**_. Alya looked up at Chat with wide eyes, and he grinned at her.

“Fantastic, isn’t it?” he asked, running his fingers over the black ring on his finger. “It makes you feel like you can be anyone. You can be _free_ , even for just a few hours if you accept it. You can be a hero, join Ladybug and I in protecting Paris, do what you _love_.”

Alya shut her eyes and shoved the necklace into Chat’s hands, turning around. He frowned, reaching out, only to be met with Alya holding her hair up off of her neck. “Well, playboy?” She asked, and Chat could hear the grin in her voice. “You gonna help a lady out or what?”

Swallowing hard, Chat moved closer and draped the Fox Miraculous around Alya’s neck, doing the clasp with surprisingly steady hands. When he did and stepped away from her, Alya dropped her hair and exhaled sharply as the full power of the Miraculous flooded through her. A kwami shot out of the Miraculous, small and orange, and Alya squeaked in surprise.

“Well, I really must be going,” Chat said, and Alya opened her mouth to object before he gestured to the alarm clock on Alya’s nightstand, which read 11:03 PM. “Kitty’s got a normal life to live tomorrow and a Lady to see before the night is through, and you have a kwami to get acquainted with. I’ll be back tomorrow, let’s say around ten? Then you can meet LB and learn some more.” Chat climbed up the edge of her window again and looked back at Alya, winking and flashing a Chesire grin at her.

“Welcome to the team, Ms. Césaire,” he said before dropping out of the window into a freefall. Alya rushed to the window and looked out just to see Chat’s baton rising up above her house, the masked hero dropping onto her roof before taking off into the night.

“I am Voluu,” the small kwami said, flicking its tail behind it, “and I believe that you will make a wonderful Vixen”. Alya turned to face it, the small fox-like creature smiling brightly at her.

“My name is Alya,” the journalist said, a grin spreading across her face, “and I think you and I are going to make an excellent team”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH you thought this would be plain and simple adrienette/ladynoir, but you were _wrong_ bc i live for poly AND rarepairs  
>  if you wanna come yell abt ladybug or other stuff at me my blog is sheikahkid.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> WHOO BOY  
> who is ready for some ml suffering hell yeah  
> aa im really glad to be posting fic for this fandom! ive been meaning to but i just never did  
> here we go! more tags will be added as the fic continues and warnings for things that need warnings will be mentioned in the chapter notes at the start of the chapter!
> 
> [side note: never changing zombies is on indefinite hiatus.... i don't know if it will ever be finished. sorry.]


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